Deadly desires: the Donna's obsession.

Present day.

Rome, Italy.

The entire room felt heavy with the aura of death. It clung to the walls of the villa like smoke, suffocating everyone except the woman sitting at the head of the table.

Scarlett, draped in a blood-red dress that clung to her figure like a second skin, exuded an air of deadly calm. The leather gloves on her hands glistened faintly, in preparation of what was to come.

Across the table, the man responsible for tonight's meeting, a balding middle-aged thief named Eduardo Costa, squirmed in his chair, his trembling hands tightly bound to the steel chair.

He'd dared to skim profits from one of her operations, an offense she considered worse than betrayal.

Betrayal could be managed, sometimes even forgiven.

But theft? That was a challenge, and there was nothing she loved more than putting challenges in their place.

She crossed one leg over the other, the tap of her stiletto heels echoing through the room. "Eduardo," she started, her voice deceptively sweet. "Do you know why you're here?"

He swallowed hard, his face pale. "Ms. Russo, I..."

Scarlett's laughter suddenly rang out, cutting him off. It was cold, sharp and completely void of humor. "Ms. Russo? Oh, Eduardo, how gentlemanly, but my name is Scarlett now, remember. 'Ms. Russo' died three years ago, so you should address me properly. Or have you forgotten the lesson I taught your predecessor?"

Beads of sweat rolled down his temple, tracing the line of his unkempt beard. His mouth opened, but no words came, more like, couldn't come out.

"I'll remind you," she continued, leaning forward, her dark eyes locking onto his. "It took me four days to break his mind, Eduardo. Four days to make him beg for death. Do you think you'll last longer?"

Eduardo's lip trembled. "It was a mistake! I didn't mean to..."

She raised a hand, silencing him instantly. She turned her gaze to Luca, her trusted tech genius and confidant, who stood silently at her side. "Did you bring it?"

Luca nodded, smirking faintly, as he slowly produced a small black box from nowhere and placed it on the table.

Scarlett quickly opened it, revealing a scalpel, a pair of pliers, and a syringe filled with an ominous green liquid.

Eduardo's breath immediately hitched, his body trembling.

She slowly traced a finger along the blade of the scalpel. "Do you know what this is, Eduardo?" she asked, holding up the syringe.

He shook his head frantically.

"This," She said, her voice dropping to a whisper, "is something Luca designed just for me. It's a neurotoxin that paralyzes the body but leaves the nerves exquisitely sensitive, amazing, right? With this every. Single. Touch. Feels like fire."

Eduardo whimpered, his hands clutching the edge of the table as if it could save him.

Scarlett stood up, circling the table, her heels clicking in a rhythm that matched the pounding of his heart.

When she reached him, she leaned down, her lips brushing against his ear. "But you're in luck. I won't start with this. No, I like to play with my pets first."

She straightened.

Without warning, her hand suddenly snapped out and grabbed his wrist. Then with an unnatural strength that seemed almost impossible for her slender frame, she slammed it on the table, forming a visible crack on the obsidian table.

"AHHHHH!' Eduardo screamed, his voice raw and rough.

Scarlett stood up and one of her men immediately handed her a hammer without even needing to be asked.

She collected the hammer and stepped closer toward him. "Let's make this simple," she whispered, her voice smooth like silk. "Who helped you?"

His eyes widened.

How did she know someone helped him?

Tears immediately began spilling down his cheeks again. "I-I don't..."

CRACK!

The hammer came down on his fingers with a sickening crunch, the sound of bone shattering echoing through the room.

"AHHHHH!" he groaned loudly, his face contorting in pain as he uselessly writhed against the restraints.

Scarlett's smile widened.

Before he could react, she brought the hammer down again, then again, until his hand was little more than a mangled mess of flesh and bone.

By now, Eduardo's voice had gone hoarse from screaming. His breaths came in sharp, shallow gasps as he stared at his mangled hand.

Blood seeped from the shattered bones, pooling on the floor. "P-please," he whimpered. "No more, I beg you!"

Scarlett laughed lowly. "Begging already? How predictable."

She swung the hammer again.

"ARGH!" His scream was even louder this time, a piercing cry of pain that made even the guards flinch.

She tilted her head, watching as the blood dripped from the hammer's edge as if fascinated by it.

Then, she tossed the hammer aside and picked up the scalpel as she crouched to meet his tear-filled eyes. "Tell me Eduardo," she began, placing a hand on his cheek and helping him wipe his tears. "Is it really worth it? Aren't you tired or shall I move on to your knees?"

"Please...i...i'm sorry b-but you don't...you don't un..."

Scarlett tilted her head, her patience wearing thin.

Luca suddenly cleared his throat. "Queen, may I?"

She gestured for him to proceed.

He leaned down, his face inches from Eduardo's. "Let me make it simple for you. Answer the Queen's question, or I'll make sure your family gets the next invitation to this table. And trust me, Queen has a soft spot for children. Especially their screams."

That seemed to break him. "It was Dario! Dario Velucci! He said you wouldn't notice the missing shipments!"

Scarlett's eyes narrowed, her expression unreadable. "Dario Velucci," she repeated, tasting the name like venom on her tongue. "Interesting,"

She stepped away, turning her back to Eduardo as if he no longer existed. "Kill him."

"No! You.."

His protests were immediately cut short by the single crack of a gunshot.

Scarlett watched as his body slumped to the ground, blood pooling beneath the table.

She turned to Luca, who was already holding a clean towel for her gloves. "Clean this up," she ordered, collecting the towel. "And send a message to Dario. Let him know the queen is coming."

He nodded, immediately leaving to pass out the orders.

She returned to her seat, wiping her gloves clean, when the doors suddenly swung open.

Russo, her master, strode in, his presence commanding.

He glanced at the lifeless body on the floor before looking at Scarlett with an approving smile.

"La mia piccola protetta, efficiente come sempre," (My little protégée, efficient as always,) his deep voice rumbled through the room. "Non smetti mai di ricordare al mondo perché sei la mia arma più potente." (You never fail to remind the world why you're my greatest weapon.)

Scarlett raised a brow, crossing her legs. "Cosa vuoi, Russo?" (What do you want, Russo?)

He chuckled, slowly bringing out a folder. "Sei sempre stata in grado di vedermi attraverso." (You were always able to see through me.)

"Ho qualcosa per te, qualcosa che hai aspettato per quasi tutta la tua vita." (I have something for you, something you've been waiting for almost your whole life.) He handed her the folder.

She opened it, her eyes scanning the details of some Valmont High and a target.

---

NOME: KILLIAN BLACK. (NAME: KILLIAN BLACK.)

GENITORI: ISABELLA E MARIO BLACK. (PARENTS: ISABELLA AND MARIO BLACK.)

ETÀ: DICIOTTO ANNI. (AGE: EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD.)

SCUOLA: VALMONT HIGH. (SCHOOL: VALMONT HIGH.)

The information continued like that.

"Las Vegas?" (Las Vegas?) She suddenly murmured when she read the location.

"E perché mai avrei voluto fare la babysitter in una scuola superiore per tutta la mia vita." (And why exactly have I been wanting to play babysitter at a high school my whole life.)

Russo smirked. "Ricordi la mia promessa di tredici anni fa," (Remember my promise thirteen years ago?)

Her breath immediately hitched.

Of course she remembered, the promise was tied to her lifelong goal.

Thirteen years ago, when Russo had first rescued her, he'd promised to help her find the people responsible for all her kidnapping and her mother's death if she did one thing for him—serve him for ten years.

Scarlett who had nowhere else to go had of course immediately agreed.

Yet, now even after thirteen years had passed, there was not a single idea about the group responsible for it, talk more of even a clue—st least not until now.

"Mi avevi promesso il nome di chi ha ucciso mia madre," (You promised me the name of the one who killed my mother), she retorted coldly. "E non mi sembra che abbia qualcosa a che fare con un ragazzo di diciotto anni che allora non aveva nemmeno cinque anni." (And I don't think that has anything to do with an eighteen-year-old kid who was barely even five then.)

Russo grinned. "Non c'entra, ma quel ragazzo è la chiave." (It doesn't, but that boy is the key.)

He paused. "Per darti quel nome, prima ho bisogno che tu vada a Las Vegas. Avvicinati a lui. E quando te lo dirò, lo ucciderai." (To give you the name, I need you to first go to Las Vegas. Get close to him. And when I need you to, you'll kill him.)

"In questo modo, io ottengo ciò che voglio e tu otterrai ciò che vuoi. La vendetta richiede pazienza, Scarlett. Hai aspettato tredici anni, cosa sono alcune settimane in più?" (That way, I get what I want, and you'll get what you want. Revenge takes patience, Scarlett. You've been waiting for thirteen years, what's a few more weeks?)

Scarlett's jaw clenched, her fingers tightening around the envelope. "Lo farò sanguinare," (I'll make it bloody,) she finally said, her voice cold.

"That's my girl."